Tender Thorns
by SnowieBearSnarl
Summary: Ruby has been captured in the aftermath of the fall of Beacon and her fate now rests in the hands of those responsible. Beaten, demeaned and broken, Ruby must come to terms with her situation, keeping her head down through the abuse and malice, the rare, fleeting moments of tenderness from her captors is all that keeps her going. Can she hold out long enough to be rescued?
1. Just The Beginning

The sound of dripping water falling to the cold, hard floor filled the darkness. A small girl sat in a cell, her eyes blindfolded, isolating her from her primary sense, leaving her to rely on the rest of her senses to tell her the terrifying truth of her situation. At her wrists, bound behind her back she felt her shackles biting into her skin, the pain she felt where the metal wore down her soft skin over the days she had been chained and caged was growing more and more intense, gnawing at her with every passing minute. The only sound her ears could perceive was the dripping of the water, and her own fearful breaths and heartbeat. The only thing she could smell was the musty scent of her cell and the smell of her own sweat and urine, having been unable to bathe or change clothes since her capture.

However, what was worse than the fear were her primal needs, thirst and hunger screamed at her louder and louder with each passing hour. Sleep deprivation left her mind hazy and unfocused, though no one had come to see her as far as she knew, the fear of what would happen to her kept her awake at night. She swallowed, her parched throat stinging as she grew more and more desperate for something to drink. Her lips were cracked and sore and her entire body felt weak from fatigue, stress, hunger and dehydration.

Her muscles trembled as she collapsed on her side, her head slamming painfully against the hard stone floor. Her desperate breaths became hard and heavy as she reeled from the pain, feeling her consciousness blur, whether it was from the impact or her body being deprived of its basic needs she couldn't be sure. Again, as she lay on the damp, rough floor, her hazy mind wandered to the worst possible scenarios. Her small, frail shape curling up into a ball, her ankles bound in chains just like her wrists.

 _W-what if there's no one here? How many days has it been? At least three or four I think. Yang… she and the others have to be looking for me right? They know I'm missing don't they? I mean, they had to have gotten out okay. They couldn't have been captured too. I'm so thirsty… I'm starving… am- am I going to die here? Alone? In the dark with no one with me, no one knowing where I am? I'm only fifteen… I can't die like this… I'm not supposed to die like this!_ Her teeth gritted painfully and her fists balled behind her, the action tugging at her raw, bleeding skin, sending jolts of intense stinging pain through her.

 _I can't give up yet. They have to be looking for me. I just need to stay alive until they save me._ With a shaky, weak exhale, she relaxed her body and suppressed her panic and despair, pushing it all back down. She listened for the sound of dripping water, her mind becoming entirely focused on her biological need, her instincts blocking out her emotions, shutting down all but what was necessary to find water. She couldn't stand, she had found that out early on, wherever she was, the ceiling was too low for her to stand upright.

A fierce spark ignited in her heart as she clenched her jaw and began squirming to the sound of the dripping. As she dragged herself against the stone floor she felt her skin being worn down and scraped up by the rough surface, she could feel the skin on her legs and shoulder being shredded and she could swear she could hear every little tear that the stone made in her body, it hurt, but thirst drowned out even the intense pain as she squirmed forward. She could hear it, she was getting closer and closer, her heart soared with hope as she kept moving towards the sound. She could feel the stone beneath her growing more and more wet, stinging her fresh and bleeding scraped as she pushed herself along. Her parched mouth opened, desperate to catch even a drop of the life sustaining liquid. Her tongue stuck out from her open lips as she inched towards the sound until… her head hit something hard and metal.

Her heart began pounding with terror as she pushed her head harder against the surface. She could feel it, there were gaps in between with more hard rods jutting up… they were the bars of her cage and the dripping water was on the other side, just inches out of reach in the most cruel and twisted turn of fate, a joke at her misery as her heart once filled with hope sunk into crushing despair. Still, her instincts wouldn't let her lay down and die. She struggled to her bleeding knees, feeling the hard ceiling above her head before she began moving back, each time her scraped up knees rubbed against the pavement it sent pain and revulsion through her entire body. She could just imagine what they looked like and for a moment, she was glad she couldn't see.

 _I- I just… need… a drink…_ It was all her narrowly focused mind could think of before she collapsed, falling face first to the floor. She could feel her nose bleeding as pain radiated from it, almost entirely eclipsing the pain in her forehead and chin as she lay face down. Even so, she ignored it, she was as close to the dripping water as she could be and the extremely shallow water that was pooled under her enticed her as the primitive mind took her over.

Frantically and desperately she licked the floor, catching as much water as she could. It was almost nothing, and she could feel her tongue oozing blood as it was rubbed raw by the stone, but even as the taste of blood filled her mouth, she kept lapping up as much dirty, bloody water as she could from the floor. At that moment, nothing mattered, nothing but satisfying her thirst, so she reduced herself to madly licking at the floor for even the smallest amount of water which was quickly becoming outweighed by the blood trickling from her burning tongue.

"Well as immensely entertaining as this is to watch, it's time." A voice, a boy's voice spoke from the darkness, barely suppressing his laughter at the pathetic scene before him.

"W-who's there?!" Ruby demanded, barely coherent as she sat up, her body shaking as she shrunk back, wondering just how long someone had been watching her, of if she was being watched the entire time.

"Oh, you don't remember me? Here I thought setting up your friend to get torn to pieces by your other friend you would at least have the decency to remember my name." The boy laughed before a hard sound rang from the bars of Ruby's cage. "I'll give you a hint. "Oh, she broke my leg! Why would she do that?!", well, do you remember me now?"

"Mercury…" Ruby barely whispered as she scurried to the back wall of her cage in fear, pressing her back against the furthest wall away from his voice.

"That's correct! Now it's fine for your prize!" From her blind darkness Ruby heard her cage door swing open , she could hear his footsteps getting closer before they stopped, taken over by a softer sound… the sound of Mercury, crawling towards her.

"No! S-stay back! Don't come any- gah!" He didn't let her finish before he grabbed onto the chain connecting her shackles to her ankles. With a single, firm and powerful tug Mercury pulled Ruby onto her back, dragging her out feet first, her lower back shredding as she was forced across the rough stone.

"I don't think you really appreciate the position you're in kid." Mercury chuckled from above her. Through her blindfold she could only tell that it was brighter than inside her cell. Her mind was in panic mode as she frantically tried to think of what to do, but a sudden and very intense pain radiated from her abdomen as a powerful force slammed into her ribs, compressing her chest and forcing the air from her lungs.

"P-please * _cough!_ *... stop. D-don't- Aah!" Another kick, right in the same place but even harder than the first, she could feel her bones giving to the impact, she could feel the force bending her ribs painfully. The force of his kick shooting an incredible pain from her side where she could feel her rib beginning to crack with no aura to protect her.

"Get up, you've got someone waiting for you and they aren't exactly a patient person." Before Ruby could respond she felt a sharp pain atop her head as her hair was bunched up in his fist before he forcefully pulled her up by it, a moan of pain escaped her lips as she reflexively tried to fight him off, only for her shackles to cut deeper into her wrists.

"Move, now!" Ruby's weak legs were barely supporting her, most of her weight being suspended painfully by her hair. Giving a firm and painful jerk, ripping strands of hair from her scalp he finally let her go, her legs nearly giving out under her weight, however, fear of further punishment kept her standing despite her exhaustion.

"W-where do you want me to go? I can't see…" Ruby mumbled meekly, bracing herself for more pain as she shut her eyes tight beneath her blindfold. She shrunk back, making herself smaller as she lowered her head and brought up her shoulders.

"This way." He growled. In the next instant Ruby felt a tough hand touch her neck before going below her collarbone until it slid down her top, bunching up the fabric in his fist before he jerked her forward, pulling the small, emaciated girl with on arm.

Ruby's heart was racing as she was dragged onward, using all of her strength not to fall, terrified of the repercussions of falling behind. So she obediently followed, her starved, sleep deprived, dehydrated mind unable to work up the strength to fight, the only recourse she had was to submit for the moment. Still, she felt her mind wandering to terrible places about what lay ahead of her once they stopped.

"Alright, she's all yours, but don't take too long, Cinder is getting impatient." Ruby felt Mercury's grip on her clothes relax before he let go entirely, leaving Ruby standing blind in an unknown environment. Her fear of the unknown grew to an intense anxiety as she felt his hand leave her, losing the only connection she had with another person since her capture, and plunging her again into solitude and darkness.

"Alright, just get out so I can get this over with." It was a girl's voice, a familiar one.

"Whatever, just hurry up." Mercury sighed. Then, Ruby felt another hard kick to the back of her knee, sending her falling painfully to her knees. She froze in terror, holding her breath as she braced for more pain… but it didn't come. Instead, she heard Mercury's distinctive footsteps walking away, before a door shut behind him, leaving her alone with the girl and the darkness.

"E-Emerald?" Ruby whispered into the void, her bloody knees pressed against smooth but hard tile.

"Good, you remember me, that means we can skip the introductions and get right to it." Emerald sounded… annoyed but almost happy, a strange mix of feelings Ruby's exhausted mind couldn't comprehend.

However, her thoughts were brought to a grinding halt as she hear the jangling of chains. Moments later she felt a cold ring of metal lock around her neck, just tight enough to make breathing slightly uneasy, but not enough to kill her. It was heavy and thick, she could feel the chains connected to it brush against her collarbone before it was pulled up. The metal rattled as Emerald fiddled with the chains, huffing in irritation as until she finally let out a satisfied sigh.

"Okay kid, you're all set." Emerald giggled, Ruby could hear her footsteps coming closer and closer to her until…

Soft, warm fingers brushed her cheek as her thumb moved up to her forehead on the other side. In a gentle and tender movement, Emerald pulled up on the blindfold that Ruby had been trapped in for days. Her eyes were stung by the bright fluorescent lights as she blinked rapidly, forcing her eyes to adjust to the sudden dispersal of darkness.

As Ruby's blurry vision returned, her head turned as she looked to her surroundings. A young woman with tan skin and brilliant crimson eyes smiled down at her. The room was clean, downright immaculate, white walls and white tile, the only thing truly eye catching about the room besides Emerald was a large bathtub with a shower nozzle overhead.

"W-what's happening?" Ruby said weakly, her gaze drifting down to the chain attached to the collar around her neck which was now anchored to the wall beside the tub, meaning escape for her was not an option. Even if she wasn't tied up, in her weakened state, she wouldn't be able run or use her Semblance effectively.

"You're going to see Cinder, but you stink so you're getting a bath first. Now, stand up and strip so we can get this over with." Emerald turned around, walking over to the tub, turning a knob to let water rush from the shower above.

"Did… did you say strip?" Ruby's heart began to race as she slowly and shakily got to her feet. Turning around she found the door where Mercury had brought her in from closed, no one else was around, just her… and Emerald.

"Yes, as in get naked, now. I know you've been living in a hole for a week but you should still understand English." Emerald's tone made it abundantly clear that she was running out of patience, her arms folded over her chest, her weapons holstered at her sides.

"Can I-"

"No, you don't get privacy, if that's what you were about to ask. Now either take off your clothes or I'll do it for you." In a blur Emerald whipped out her weapon, instantly transforming it into a razor sharp sickle. She walked up to Ruby, her red eyes burning with ferocity as she touched the tip of her blade to the base of Ruby's neck and with the slightest pressure she drew forth a drop of scarlet from her pale skin.

"Stop!" Ruby shouted, shutting her eyes tight as she felt the blade digging slowly deeper and deeper into her flesh before stopping at her cry. "I'll do it… please, just stop. I'll do what you say."

"Good girl, now, I'm going to unlock the shackles around your arms. Don't do anything stupid, I don't want to have to kill you before Cinder has her way with you." With that, Emerald pulled a key from her back pocket, moving her blade to the side of Ruby's throat as she walked around the small, frail girl. Ruby's breaths slowed and she closed her eyes as she felt every subtle shift of the blade looming less than a millimeter from her jugular.

"There," Emerald said in a cheerful, amiable tone as the heavy metal shackles that had tormented Ruby for apparently a week fell from her, freeing her arms and giving her wrists some relief. "No you can get undressed and get clean, we have some spare clothes waiting for you when you're done."

There was nothing she could say. As she felt Emerald's blade ease off of her neck she swallowed the tightness in her throat, her eyes too dry to cry. She could feel Emerald watching her as she began to undress. Her cape fell to the ground behind her and as she brought her hands in front of her to her belt, she saw her wrists, deep cuts circled around them, raw and bleeding where the skin was rubbed clean from her flesh by the tight metal restraints.

"Just be glad it's me and not Mercury, I'm doing you a favor by being here so be grateful alright? I could be doing something a lot more fun right now." Emerald huffed as she leaned up against the bathroom wall, watching the younger girl getting undressed in front of her. Finally, she watched her skirt fall to the floor, leaving her in only her rose red bra and panties, shivering in the cold room without the warmth of her clothes. The small, emaciated figure wrapped her arms around herself for both warmth and comfort as she felt her dignity being stripped away, bringing her lower than she felt possible.

"Everything, that means underwear too." Emerald commanded in a cold tone, tapping the tip of her blade against the tiled walls. She watched as Ruby's small, shaky hands moved to her back, flinching from the pain in her shoulders from having her hands bound behind her for so long. After a moment of hesitation, she undid her bra strap, letting it fall to the floor with the rest of her clothes before her hands slowly moved down wards, her thumbs pushing under the elastic of her panties and again, she hesitated, but the increasingly rapid tapping of Emerald's weapon compelled her to finish disrobing. So she did.

Ruby stood, sore, tired, bleeding and naked before one of her captors, her body shivering in the cold as she stared blankly forward towards the tub, watching the water run. She could hear Emerald approaching from behind her and her fear and despair gripped her heart as she hugged herself even tighter. However, she again felt a gentle touch, this time, on her forearm as Emerald looked down at her with what Ruby could only describe and… empathy in her crimson gaze.

"Come on, let's get you clean." With that, Emerland gently pulled Ruby with her towards the tub, the prisoner's remaining arm covering her chest as best she could, trying to preserve the tiny shred of dignity she had left. Emerald reached her hand out, putting under the rushing water before pulling it back.

"It's warm but it won't stay that way if you don't hurry up. Get in, now." Her tone became cold again but unlike before it was calm, not threatening but just cold like ice.

"Okay…" Ruby nodded as she stepped into the tub, placing one leg in. Immediately the clean water stung her scraped up body but the warmth soothed her aching muscles and calmed her trembling body.

"I'm coming in." Emerald's announcement took Ruby very much more than aback as her head whipped around to see one of her captors quickly undressing, one hand holding onto the shower curtain for support as she disrobed.

"Y-you're serious?" Ruby wasn't even sure what she was supposed to feel at that moment as she stared at Emerald's naked body, the older girl completely unabashed as she stood in front of her.

"I just want to get this done as fast as possible, now move over." Without waiting for any more questions from the very confused and very embarrassed Ruby, Emerald stepped into the shower, grabbing a bottle of bodywash resting against the wall of the tub. Ruby stood in front of her, facing forward her weak arms having since fallen to her side letting the water pour over her exposed breasts.

Behind her Ruby felt soft, soapy hands run slowly up the length of her back as Emerald bathed her. Ruby's already blurry mind went blank as she felt her captor's fingers gently caressing her sides, having no idea what to make of it and still terrified of punishment should she resist. As she felt Emeralds hands run down her lower back, working in small circles to work up a lather. Her heart raced and her cheeks grew hot until she felt Emeralds touch around her ass, her hands pressing against Ruby's soft and plump rear.

"Here, do your front, I'm not doing all the work for you." Much to Ruby's relief, she felt Emerald's hands pull away, extending out the bottle of soap to her. Ruby tepidly opened her palm, letting Emerald squeeze the body wash into her hand.

As Ruby took care of her front as she was told, Emerald knelt down, getting her knees to clean the smaller girl, rubbing the soap hard into her wound, bringing out a whine of pain as it stung her bloody knees. The scarlet fluid from her wounds mixed with the water, turning it a distinctive pink before it was wash down the drain along with the suds from her body.

"Alright, turn around and rinse off, we're done here." Her tone was stern and commanding, cold and unfeeling, like it wasn't even a person she was talking to… just a thing.

"Okay…" Ruby's voice was barely a whisper as she began to turn, her arms at her side, too weak to cover herself she was left exposed, the hot water washing over her back as she faced Emerald. The woman before her was beautiful, and more well endowed than herself, her dark skin glistened with droplets of water spraying on her from the shower.

"Hmm, just one more thing." Emerald stepped forward, completely nonplussed as her breasts touched Ruby's, the younger girl having completely given up on feeling any way about this, her exhausted mind just going with the flow. She watched as Emerald raised her hands up above her, cupping her hands under the flowing water before bringing them back down. "Close your eyes and hold your breath."

As she ordered, Ruby closed her eyes and mouth before she felt water splash over her face. She felt Emerald's fingers gently rubbing her cheeks and she could smell the soap that was foaming up on her face as the dirt was pulled off of her skin the by white bubbles. Then, Emerald grabbed her arms tight and pushed her beneath the water, bringing one hand tenderly under her chin, directing her head up to the water, washing away the soap and through all of this, Ruby couldn't help but feel her captor's breasts pressing further into her own.

"Now we're done." Emerald stepped back, pulling Ruby with her. Her eyes were still closed but as she heard the water turn off, a soft towel was put gently against her face. Reaching up her shaky hands she took the towel from Emerald, drying her face before blinking open her eyes, looking at Emerald's back as she walked out of the tub, her hips swaying rhythmically as she walked. "Get dried up, I'll bring you your new clothes."

"Wait, I-" It was too late, Emerald had grabbed her clothes from the floor and a towel from a hanger on the wall, quickly drying herself off before dressing back up in her distinctive ensemble. Discouraged and afraid, Ruby let the words she was going to say die on her lips as she wrapped the towel around herself. With a soft sigh, she watched Emerald leave the room, letting silence and solitude set in… two things Ruby didn't want.

 _I- I don't understand any of this. What was all that? Why am I here? What's going to happen to me? W-where is my team? Cinder… I'm going to see her soon. What is she going to do with me? It doesn't matter, it doesn't look like I'm leaving this place until my team rescues me, whenever that might be. I'll just have to stay strong… and keep my head down._ With a weary shake of her head Ruby stepped out of the tub, patting herself dry before throwing the towel over the rail above her. Her gaze fell to her clothes, the outfit she had worn since her first day at Beacon, her cape, her combat skirt… it was part of what defined her. Food, water, comfort, happiness, privacy, dignity… her humanity. She could feel them all being degraded, from her week long stay in that dark cage to her shower with Emerald, she could feel her spirit waning. _But I won't break._

"I'm back." Emerald announced as she walked back into the room carrying a sizable glass of water in one hand and her new clothes in the other. "Figured you could use a drink before you see Cinder."

"Thank you…" Ruby felt that feeling, it was degrading, standing naked in front of Emerald while she was clothed, but all she could focus on was the water. Her quivering hand reached out to grab the cup but it was pulled away only millimeters from her grasp.

"Nope, you're going to drop it with how shaky you are. I'll do it for you." With an almost amused smile Emerald walked around Ruby, pressing her chest against her back as she brought the glass up to the prisoner's lips. Ruby wasn't stupid, she knew what this was, another tactic to take away her power, her self reliance, her independence and her spirit… but the thirst was greater than her pride. She closed her eyes and put her lips to the rim of the glass and opened her mouth. As Emerald tilted the glass Ruby frantically gulped down the water, her parched throat and dry mouth quenched and her body almost instantly feeling so much lighter and stronger as she imbibed the fluid until the glass was completely empty.

"Good, now that you're satisfied, let's get you dressed." With an unnervingly friendly tone Emerald placed the cup on the side of the tub and pulled out a strip of white cloth from her other hand. Ruby just stood there as her captor dressed her, her new outfit was merely a length of fabric tied around her chest and another, tattered cloth tied around her waist, hanging down only a few inches, the other real piece of clothing she received was her a pair of plain white panties. Ruby simply followed Emerald's commands as she dressed her.

"Good, you're all set. Now... Cinder wants to see you." As she said those last words her tone grew immediately dark and cold. Without hesitation, she grabbed Ruby by her wrist, unlocking the chain from her metal collar before pulling her towards whatever fate awaited her at Cinder's hands.

* * *

The room was pitch black, Ruby couldn't see anything. She wasn't blindfolded, merely the darkness of the room was impenetrable. Again she felt something biting into her wrists, only this time, it was rope, tightly binding her arms to a chair. Her legs too were bound to the legs of the chair and her almost entirely exposed torso was tied around tight, restricting her breathing as it fastened her to the chair's back. The bounds were tight and firm, she knew she couldn't escape, she could only wait, and wonder about the horrible possibilities.

Then, from the darkness came a sound, the sound of heels clicking against the concrete, drawing closer and closer to her. Ruby's heart began to race as her eyes strained to see through the dark, but it was no use. Then, a jolt of fear shot through her body as she felt two hands grab her shoulders from behind.

"Well if it isn't our guest of honor." Mercury laughed as he gripped her shoulders tighter, digging his fingers deliberately into her pressure points. "There's someone who has a bone to pick with you kid and here she is."

Ruby looked back from Mercury to see a familiar woman with amber eyes with a burning fiery light flickering from them, her hair was shorter and her face and body were covered in scars. Her malicious glare burned into Ruby as her hand ignited in flames, lighting up the room with a bright orange glow. Around her Ruby could see the spectators to her horrifying ordeal; Neo, the woman who she fought on the airship who was with Roman Torchwick, Emerald, her gaze cold and dull as her eyes met Ruby's then, a man wearing a mask with short red hair and horns protruding from his head with a sword at his side. They all watched what was happening, some with glee like Neo and Mercury, and some watching coldly. However, none of them could match the intensity of hate that emanated from Cinder's burning eyes.

"W-wait! Please don't do this! Please!" Ruby's heart began pounding so hard in her chest she feared it would explode as her adrenaline spiked. Cinder drew closer and closer, the flame in her hand growing in intensity as she closed in. As Cinder looked into her eyes she knew what was about to happen and as she struggled as hard as she could against her restraints she realized… there was nothing she could do.

Ruby felt Mercury's hand over her eye, forcing open her eyelid on her right side, forcing her to watch as the flame drew closer, close enough to feel the tense heat, the light burning her skin. Her eyes blurred with tears as she struggled with all the strength she had, but it was useless.

"Please… don't do this." Ruby whispered softly, her voice trembling as she looked up at Cinder's malicious eyes, pleading for mercy. However… Cinder smirked, relishing in the frantic, desperate pleading, Ruby's pathetic sobs and glistening, tear filled Silver Eyes, all of it only made the moment sweeter.

"Don't! Don't do- Aaaaaaah! Aaaaaaah!" Ruby's shrill, agonized screams filled the room as a burning flame shot out from Cinder's hand, washing over Ruby's pried open eye, Mercury's aura protecting him long enough to pull away, but there was nowhere for Ruby to run.

Her skin was instantly burned away, her eye bubbled, her vision distorting before going completely black in that eye. She could smell her flesh burning and hear her skin sizzling even over her desperate screams. The pain washed over her, burning all the way into her blood, flooding her mind with the agony as her nerves were exposed to the fire, her flesh and skin having since been seared off of her body. She gripped the arms of the chair, her fingernails digging into the wood in a useless attempt to cope with the sheer, unbearable agony that burned her all the way down to her soul, leaching into her blood and soaking into her bones until all she was in that moment… was pain.


	2. Keep Your Head Down

It hurt… it hurt so much. Her wrists were again shackled behind her, there was nothing she could do to comfort herself through the unbearable searing pain in her right eye. She was permanently blinded from the severe burn and would be scarred forever, a permanent reminder of that moment, the moment she knew that the nightmare she was in… was only just beginning.

Her breaths were weak and shallow as she suffered, her pathetic whimpers filling her dark cell. The wound she sustained from Cinder's wrath was cleaned and bandaged, her horrible burn hidden from sight, but nothing could stop the pain. It had kept her up all night, her hands reflexively tried to move to her wound for comfort, but every time they moved, her manacles bit into her wrists, cutting deeper into her skin already rubbed raw. She couldn't get that moment out of her mind, every time she closed her eye, she was right back there with Cinder. Adam, Neo and Emerald watching, knowing full well what was about to happen to her, and none of them caring as Mercury forced her eye open. She could see the flames every time she blinked, the horrible, glowing amber eyes, the sound of her screaming echoed in her mind, the only thing she could think of besides the pain. Try as she might, she couldn't free herself from the acrid stench of burning flesh that clung to her skin and filled her nostrils with every breath.

She was dressed in little more than strips of cloth, she was stripped of her freedom, her privacy and her autonomy. She was locked away in a dark cage, left alone to suffer for longer than she could bear, each minute she spent with the burning agony in her eye felt like an hour and there was no relief to be found. Her throat stung and the taste of blood filled her mouth from the sheer force of her desperate screams.

All she could do to comfort herself was rock back and forth on the floor, whimpering softly as she waited in vain for the pain to diminish, for some semblance of relief that felt like it would never come as the relentless burning tormented her. Her sleep deprived, pain fatigued mind could barely process anything, but to her, the silver lining was that she was in too much agony to be afraid of what was to come.

"Ruby!" A hushed voice called out from the darkness, caring and very, very familiar. The voice stole Ruby from her tortured stupor, her blurry gaze wandering up to the bars of her cage… and who she saw kneeling before her was enough to take her mind completely off of her pain.

"Y-Yang… is that really you?" Ruby barely whispered in awe as she struggled forward, the chain attached to her metal collar that was anchored to the wall giving her only enough slack to crawl up to the bars of her cage.

"Yeah, it's really me… I've come to get you out Sis." Yang's lilac eyes glistened with tears as she looked over her sister's beaten and broken state, her gaze lingering on her bandaged eye.

"Yang… Yang… I'm scared. I'm scared. I- I never thought I'd see you again. It hurts so much, please you have to hurry before they find you too! It hurt… it hurts!" Ruby whimpered softly, her eyes clouding with tears and her heart racing as the momentary reprieve from the pain retreated, bringing the agony back even stronger than before. Her forehead rested on the metal bars of her cage, the cold steel providing the slightest comfort to her body that felt feverish from the pain.

"It's okay Ruby, everything is going to be okay! I'm gonna get you out, Blake and Weiss are waiting for us, you'll be safe soon. Everything is going to be okay, just hold on!" Yang tugged at the bars, pulling at them as hard as she could… but they wouldn't budge.

"Hurry, they'll find us any second, please, you can't get captured, you just can't! If they find you, th-they'll hurt me… they'll hurt us." Ruby could feel her pulse pounding through her entire body, her burn flaring with intense agony each beat of her heart. Her mouth went dry and her senses were on high alert to even the slightest sounds as she frantically looked back and forth.

"I won't let anything happen to you, just give me a second and we'll get out of here!" Yang tugged on the bars even harder, her muscles straining as her eyes burned crimson, her Semblance granting her super strength, the strength she would need to rip the bars from the concrete!

"Yang… I missed you… I- I just want to go home." Her words were choked as a weak, hoarse sob escaped her lips, tears flowed from her remaining eye, pooling atop her dazzling silver before streaming down her cheek. However… a terrifyingly familiar glow ignited, bathing the room in its hot light and filling her heart with horror.

"Yang run!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, straining her throat as panic gripped her chest.

"I've almost got it, just hold- Aaaaaaaah!"

All Ruby could do was stare on in shocked horror as the flames engulfed her sister. Yang's scream was deafening as it pieced all the way into her soul, searing itself into her mind forever as she watched her sister's flesh bubble and distort under the intense flames. The skin from her hands melting onto the metal bars as she slowly pulled away before the flames swallowed her whole, charing her down the bone as Cinder stood looming over the burnt corpse of the person Ruby loved most in the world. The small girl trembled under the burning, malice filled glare of the woman who murdered her sister, her mind scoured clean of all things, even pain was drowned out, the only thing left in her heart was unbridled, untainted, unimaginable fear that even her grief couldn't rise above.

"No… no! S-stay back! Please! Please… no! Don't hurt me!" Ruby cried, her tears streamed uncontrollably as she begged for her life, bringing her head to the floor, her collar squeezing painfully against her throat, choking her, gripping into her windpipe as she shrunk back, pleading for her life and bracing for the same agonizing demise as her sister.

"You aren't going to die, at least not yet." A voice spoke calmly and coldly… but it wasn't Cinder. Slowly and hesitantly, Ruby brought her head up, her small body trembling with fear and revulsion, the image of her Sister's corpse still fresh in her mind but as she looked up… there was nothing.

"It's alright, it was just a delusion. That's my Semblance." Emerald knelt down in front of the bars of Ruby's cage, her expression subtle and impossible to read. "Still, that's what you've been holding out for isn't it? Your big Sis and your friends to come and rescue you? I was just giving you a taste of what to expect if that did happen."

"W-why are you doing this to me!?" Waves of nausea rolled through her as the image of her sister being burned alive forced itself to replay over and over again in her brain. Her eyes clouded with tears as she crawled back up to the bars.

"Why?! Why don't you just- Gah!" Ruby gave a yelp of pain as her head was slammed into the bars of her cage, the sound of her skull smashing into the metal filled the air, her mind went fuzzy from the force. Atop her head she could feel her hair gripped tight in Emerald's fist, pulling her painfully into the cold metal.

"See, you're not off to a good start. What were you going to say? Why don't we just kill you? Is that really what you want? You say that to the wrong person here and you will die, very, very slowly. You wanna survive in here? You need to keep your mouth shut and your head down and just take it." With a soft exhale Emerald released Ruby's hair, blood trickling down her face from a gash at her eyebrow, scarring her unburned side.

Ruby's gaze shifted away from the girl before her, looking down to the floor. A deep throbbing pain above her good eye now accompanied the intense and unrelenting inferno that tormented her. She could feel a hot stream of her own blood dripping down her face before the scarlet drops splashed onto the cold floor of her cell. As the fog in her mind lifted, through the pain she found the briefest moment of clarity… and it terrified her.

"I'm going to die in here anyway… aren't I?" Ruby looked up to Emerald, her glistening silver eye looking into her captor's crimson, the lucidity and comprehension in them burning the fact of her humanity into the girl before her. For a long moment, Emerald just stared back at her, her own eyes widening and for only an instant, Ruby could swear she wore a look of empathy.

"Probably." Emerald admitted with a tepid sigh. "But not definitely. You're going to suffer, a lot, but if you don't fight it, if you let us break you… it'll go a lot easier on you. Give up hope, you're only hurting yourself more. Even if your friends did rescue you, you've seen first hand what Cinder is capable of, if they aren't killed as soon as they attempt a rescue, they'll be captured and end up just like you. If I were in your shoes, the only thing I would be hoping for is that they don't come."

"So… I'm just supposed to give in?" Ruby felt a chilling cold grip her heart as her body relaxed. At first, she wasn't sure what that feeling was, it was like nothing she had ever felt before, it was lonely, it was painful, it was cold. As she focused on it, taking the chance to escape her physical pain, what she found was… so, so much worse. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes became dull; the bite of her shackles and collar, the cold, rough floor, her revealing clothes, her scar, her pain, all of it became so much more intense as she realized what she was feeling in her heart. It was the bleak, isolating feeling… of hopelessness.

"Yes, that's exactly what you're supposed to do. Abandon yourself, just break and don't fight it." Emerald looked away from the beaten and broken girl sitting on the floor of her cage, chains around her neck, arms and legs. She was frail and small, Emerald could see her ribs as she grew thinner and thinner, they had barely fed her since they captured her. "Come on, Cinder wants to see you."

At that, Ruby's head shot up, her eye conveying the horror she felt as she heard that name, recalling the illusion that she had witnessed of her sister burning alive, recalling the pain that told her she would never see out of her right eye again. Her survival instinct was screaming at her to run, to do whatever it took to get away… but above the desperation and fear, Emerald's words echoed in her mind. Her expression cooled as she snuffed out her fear, her panic and even her own will to survive, doing everything she could… to break herself, knowing full well there was nothing else she could do.

"Okay… take me to her."

* * *

Ruby was walked down the halls, chains unbound, freeing her hands and feet, though her neck was still shackled with the heavy metal collar, with a thick chain pulling her along, cuffed to Emeralds wrist. She was walked like a dog, Emerald leading her by her collar to the room where her eye had been burned out the previous night and Ruby just followed along obediently.

She focused on that transcendent pain, that intense burning that pulled her from her own fear, letting the agony wash over her, drowning out her every thought at they approached their destination. At the end of the hall she could see the gray metal double doors she had entered through before she was tied to the chair to become fodder for Cinder's wrath, to let her fire burn away her eye, leaving her blinded for life on one side.

"Alright, we're here. Just do whatever she says Ruby, don't fight it… no matter what." With a barely audible sigh Emerald pushed the doors open and ushered Ruby through, the doors closing then.

It was large, completely empty room with a concrete floor and white walls. Dim fluorescent lights flickered from the ceiling overhead, giving light to the place where she had lost half of her sight. This time however, there was no audience to watch her imminent suffering, just herself, Emerald… and Cinder, standing completely naked and unabashed in the middle of the room with a bucket beside her.

"Move!" Emerald barked, yanking on Ruby's chain, nearly toppling the small, emaciated girl. After hesitating only for a moment, Ruby staggered forward towards Cinder. The older woman was covered in scars and her left eye was burned blind leaving a large scar on that side of her face. Ruby hadn't notice in the moments before she was burned, but Cinder herself was in bad shape.

"Take off your clothes." Emerald commanded coldly as they came to a stop before Cinder.

"Y-yes…" Ruby sighed, forcing aside her modesty and fear. With a solemn sigh Ruby undressed, stripping herself of the little clothes she had, leaving her standing naked and cold before her captors wearing only her collar and chain, anchoring her to Emerald.

The three of them stood in silence, Ruby could feel their eyes on her, looking over every inch of her bare skin as her worries began to force their way to the front of her mind. Before her panic, fear or humiliation could reach her, she looked down to the bucket that sat between herself and Cinder. Her eye widened with understanding as she saw a large, soft sponge floating in the soapy water. Tentatively, she glanced up to the other naked woman who was glaring at her impatiently.

Submissively, Ruby bowed her head before bending over, reaching into the bucket and grabbing the sponge, wringing it out so it wouldn't drip too much. As she rose up the small, shivering girl stared at the woman before her nervously, looking over her naked body, not knowing where to begin. Her eyes lingering on Cinder's chest, the scars that littered her left side extending over her breast. Her gaze then wandered down over her taut, muscular stomach stopping as she stared between Cinder's legs. Her black pubic hairs neatly trimmed, one of her scars wrapped around her leg to her inner thigh. Even in her damaged state, Ruby couldn't help but find Cinder beautiful, and though that thought made her feel sick… she still couldn't help but blush, her pale cheeks tinting red as she looked nervously away.

"Well, get to it!" Emerald growled, giving a firm, hard tug at Ruby's collar, squeezing the small girl's windpipe, cutting off her breath before easing up.

"Yes." Ruby gave her head a soft, barely noticeable shake, banishing her feelings of embarrassment. She had no privacy anymore, she had no modesty, like Emerald said, she needed to abandon herself. So, with a quiet, steadying breath, Ruby approached Cinder, hesitating once more, before tenderly placing the sponge on her shoulder.

Slowly and gently Ruby rubbed the sponge over Cinder's scarred skin, the warm water carrying suds down her body from her shoulder. As she bathed her captor, Cinder didn't flinch, blush or show any signs that she was embarrassed or even enjoying watching her prisoner being degraded, being brought down to nothing as she cleaned her wounds. It didn't take long for her to understand, she was nothing, she wasn't a person anymore and this was just another way to prove that to her. As the reality dawned on her, for the first time, she truly felt like nothing.

Her apprehension and fear died out as she let the feeling of nothingness take over, her silver eye dull as she washed the captor's scars. As she let go of herself, she found that Emerald was right, breaking was so much less painful that resisting. So, she continued, dipping the sponge back in the water before returning to her task. Without hesitation she scrubbed below Cinder's collarbone, slowly working her way down, not showing any signs of emotion as she carefully brought the sponge over her captor's chest. Her fingers sinking slightly into warm, soft breasts as she moved them, washing between her cleavage with a vacant, broken expression.

 _These burns… these scars. She didn't have them when last saw her, after she- she killed Pyrrha. That's right, this is the woman that killed Pyrrha. She's responsible for all of it. She killed Pyrrha and I- I'm bathing her… and I don't know if I care anymore. All I can think of is the pain… that vision Emerald gave me… I don't want to end up like that, I don't want Yang to die trying to save me. Wait… she didn't have these scars before then how did they happen? Don't tell me, that light, just before I passed out. Oh god, Did I do this to her?! I- I must have, that has to be why she's doing this to me… she's punishing me._ As Ruby finished washing Cinder's upper body, she fell into a kneel, her scraped up knees stinging as she met the rough pavement.

"I'm sorry." Ruby whispered looking up at Cinder, her silver eye glistening with sincerity as she wiped the sponge across her lower belly. For a moment, Cinder looked taken aback, perplexed by her words, so Ruby repeated herself, her tone soft with sorrow and true regret. "I'm sorry."

 **Smack!**

A powerful impact sent the small girl to the floor, her burn stinging from the impact, fluid bursting from the blisters beneath her bandage as she slammed into the ground. Her malnourished figure trembled as she looked up at Cinder, her eyes burning with a fiery light as she glared maliciously down at Ruby. Behind her, Emerald looked away and closed her eyes, shaking her head lightly as Cinder squatted down before her captive, forcefully grabbing her arm before turning her gaze to Emerald.

Emerald immediately understood, walking over to Cinder, bending over so her ear was at level with her mouth. From Ruby's position she couldn't decipher the barely audible croaks and raspy whispers from Cinder, but as she could see for just a moment, a fearful, pitying look in Emeralds eyes before she gave a soft and solemn nod and stood up. Emerald walked around behind Ruby, helping her up until she sat atop her folded legs, her arm still firmly grasped by Cinder.

"Smile." Emerald said in a tone so dark it sent shivers down Ruby's spine. She could feel Emerald's hands resting on her shoulders and her chest pressing against her bare back before she felt the softest whisper in her ear. "Smile, and whatever you do, don't stop."

It took every ounce of willpower Ruby had to force a bright smile onto her lips in the face of her overwhelming fear. Her heart pounded in her chest and then, as she felt Cinder's hand grow rapidly hotter and hotter, she knew what was about to happen to her.

Steam boiled from her wet skin before she her skin shriveled and distorted from the intense heat. An otherworldly pain, a pain that consumed everything she was, burned from her forearm as smoke rose from her scorched flesh. Cinder's hand glowed from the sheer heat, Ruby could hear her blood boiling and popping as it rushed to the surface of her would, her blood vessels exploding from the head at the water in her cells turned to steam and the edges of her burn, outlining Cinder's fingers were charred black.

Sweat soaked her entire body as she quivered from the shock and pain and her breaths were rapid and shallow. Her pulse pounded so rapidly she thought her heart would explode and as Cinder slowly pulled back her hand, strings of melted flesh sticking to her palm, Ruby wished her heart would stop. Tears rolled down her face as she did everything she could to keep a smile on her face while her body flooded with agony, looking her tormentor in the eye the entire time.


	3. Letting Go

A small figure shivered in her cold, damp cage, her arms shackled behind her and her ankles bound, a short chain ran from the wall to her thick metal collar around her neck. Her eye was dull and tired and her frame was thin, her ribs visible through her pale skin. Soft and shallow breathing was the only sound that filled her otherwise deathly silent cell. Her burned wrist still seared with pain every waking moment, the same for her burned, blinded eye. Sleep had been nearly impossible between the agony that gnawed at her from her arm and face and the horrifying nightmares that plagued her, replaying the moments of her greatest suffering, tormenting her in even in her sleep. She was never free.

 _How long have I been in this cage? It's been a long time since I've last seen anyone… since Cinder burned my arm. Maybe a week? It's impossible to tell from in here. I- I'm missing them… I miss Cinder and Mercury… and Emerald. I don't want to be alone, I don't want to die in here alone. They killed Penny and Pyrrha, they destroyed Beacon and tried to kill my friends… and I actually miss them.' A very small and bitter smile tugged at her lips as she realized her feelings in her heart too weak to lie to herself. 'I want to be with them, I know they'll hurt me but I don't want to be alone anymore. Is this what Emerald meant by breaking? Th- this is easier… it hurts a lot less, it's less scary knowing that I want to be with them no matter what they do to me. Emerald said just give in… maybe I should stop fighting it._

She closed her eye, her breathing becoming slower and steadier as she focused in on the pain, letting it flow over her, consuming everything that she was, scouring clean her spirit, burning away her sense of self. As she let go she felt it, she felt herself descending into a free fall, shedding her soul on the way down into the deepest darkness she could reach. With the vision Emerald had planted deep inside her mind, the image of her sister burning alive at the hands of her captors, she felt her grip on the deepest bond she'd ever known slipping away along with her last shreds of hope.

 _Yang can't save me, she shouldn't save me. If she comes to this place, dying would be the best possible outcome. Same goes for Weiss and Blake. I don't want to see them, I don't want Yang. I don't want anything more than Cinder, she controls my world now, I'm just a broken doll for her and the others and- and that's exactly what I want… because once I'm broken, I won't have hope anymore… I won't hurt anymore, I will never be truly alone here, I will be safe as long as I give in. Let go… just let go._

Her frail body relaxed as she felt her heart begin to die, a fire in her soul snuffing out by her own will. After so long in isolation all she wished for was to be with her captors, her tormentors, because as much as the wounds they inflicted hurt, they were nothing compared to the pain of hope, loss and loneliness. _If I'm nothing… I won't have anything to be afraid of._

"Hey, you awake?"

A familiar voice ripped Ruby from her deep trance, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes shot open, straining in the darkness until she saw a young woman kneeling on the floor on the other side of her cage. She held a tray in one hand and a cup in the other and on her face Ruby could see a soft and wistful smile.

"Emerald… yeah, I'm awake." Her voice was soft and raspy, her throat parched and her eye now fixed on the glass in her captor's hand.

"Good, I've brought some food and drink. It's not much but we haven't fed you in a while so it's better than nothing right?" Emerald's tone shifted, losing its hint of melancholy and becoming that playful, dark note she typically carried in her voice as she slipped the tray under the bars in a small slit at the bottom.

"Thank you." Ruby said dully, nodding as she struggled to inch forward, her hands still at her back and her legs bound all she could do was stumble forward on her knees before falling, her neck choked painfully as her weight came to bear against her collar anchored to the wall.

She was just barely out of reach, her chain separating her from her food by only a few torturous inches as she desperately strained against the cold metal biting into her neck. She lowered her head, the hard and rough stone floor biting into her knees as she tried to cover the small space between her and her food, sticking her tongue out as far as she could in the vain hope that it would somehow bring her food closer.

"Oh you don't need to eat off the floor like a dog." Emerald giggled, but in Ruby's state she couldn't tell if it was a truly happy laugh or something more sadistic. She stopped trying to figure it out as she heard the bars of her gate screech open, emerald smiling warmly as she crawled into Ruby's cage with her, placing the cup down while she crossed her legs underneath her, sitting beside the chained girl.

"I'll feed you." Her words were soft and tender as inched a little closer to their captive, putting the tray in her lap. It really wasn't much, a loaf of bread and an apple, with a cup of water to wash it down.

Ruby sat herself up, slowly and carefully siting at a very slight angle towards Emerald as she stared at her captor, her expressive silver eye glistening with the spark of life, though Emerald couldn't be sure what feelings leaked through in that brief moment, somewhere between curiosity and gratitude if she had to guess. Ruby however, wasn't sure what to make of the gesture, if it was kindness or just another tactic to break her.

"So," Emerald began with a cheerful tone behind her words as she broke off a piece of bread, holding it between her fingers before bringing it up to Ruby's mouth. "How's that arm doing?"

"It hurts… a lot." Her voice became dull and weak and the spark of life died in her eyes. With a barely audible sigh, Ruby opened her mouth, her soft lips brushing against the tips of Emerald's fingers as she took the small piece of bread.

"Yeah, I would imagine." She gave a halfhearted huff of laughter as she pulled a piece of the loaf off, feeding it to herself before pulling another one off for Ruby. "What about your eye?"

"It hurts." Ruby repeated, taking the bread into her mouth, it was light and fluffy on the inside and hard and flaky on the outside. It was the best food she had since she was captured.

"Well, you're doing pretty good in here, better than I thought you would anyway." Emerald shrugged, picking up the glass beside her, taking a small sip before handing bringing the rim of the glass to Ruby's lips, slowly tilting it as she gulped it down.

"I'm trying to take your advice, I'm trying to break." Ruby paused as she was fed another, larger piece of bread, for every bite she took, Emerald also took one. "I understand what you mean now. Giving in is so much easier than fighting, it hurts so much less than keeping hope. I'm trying… I really am."

"It'll get easier in some ways. We aren't going stop hurting you, in fact, it's only going to get worse." Emerald tore the final piece of bread in half, sizing them up for a short moment before bringing the larger of the two halves up to Ruby's mouth. "It's going to be getting really bad for you soon, but breaking will make it go easier, even though the pain will be the same. There are worse things to be than broken."

"I- I don't want to be saved." Those words trembled as they left Ruby's lips, her eye glistening with tears as she looked down at the damp floor. "I realized that, I'm starting to not want to leave because having hope hurts too much. I actually started missing you and Mercury and even Cinder while I was in here alone. I don't know if that means I'm broken… but I feel so empty, like I'm hollow inside. And the worst part? A small part of me is… is actually looking forward to being broken, to being nothing but a broken toy for Cinder. I actually feel sorry for what I did to her, after everything she's done, I feel guilty. I can feel who I am slipping away and I'm actually helping it go. There won't be anything left of me soon… and that's what I want."

"Don't be so melodramatic kid." Emerald's voice was barely a soft and cold whisper as she leaned her shoulder against Ruby's, the moment of contact was the only warmth Ruby had felt in so long she didn't even know how to respond to her touch. "You're just doing what you need to do to survive. You don't want to die and breaking is how you'll keep on living in here. Breaking doesn't mean you're weak, it just means you're cutting out the weakness in you so you can handle what's about to come. Just let it die… you don't need it here."

"Right… sorry." Ruby dipped her head, looking ever so slightly away from Emerald, just enough so that the girl by her side couldn't see the delicate smile forming from her lips.

"As nice as your cage is, I don't want to spend all day in here." Much to Ruby's sorrow, Emerald pulled away as she grabbed the apple from the tray, holding the red fruit gently against Ruby's lips. "Eat."

Ruby hesitated… but only for a moment. She could feel Emeralds soft warm fingers against her chin as she sank her teeth into the crisp apple, the fruit giving a satisfying crunch as she bit into its flesh. Juices rolled down her lip to her chin, trickling down Emerald's fingers as Ruby pulled back, taking a large chunk of apple into her mouth, the sweet flavor washing over her tongue as she chewed. Beside her Emerald took a small bit from where Ruby had bitten, going all the way down the to core of the fruit.

"Emerald…" Ruby said her name softly as she swallowed down her bite of apple, turning her eye to the girl beside her.

"What's up?" Emerald responded as she took another big bite of the fruit, tearing off a large chunk, the juice glistening on her lips in the low light.

"Why are you so kind to me?" At that, the atmosphere in her cell suddenly changed, a cold and silence surrounded them as the look in Emerald's crimson eyes cooled to a deadly chill. With a soft breath Emerald crawled out of Ruby's cage and got to her feet, glass and apple in hand as she glared down at the small, chained girl.

"You could call me a lot of things, but kind isn't one of them." Her voice was pure ice as stared into Ruby's eye and without pause or hesitation… she dropped the glass still half full onto the cold stone floor. The glass shattered into dangerous sharp shards scattering across the floor, the precious water inside quickly flowing over the hard stone leaving Ruby's staring blankly at the mess of glass.

"I am not your friend." And with that painful reminder… Emerald walked away, leaving Ruby alone with the sharp fragment in reach. Still, Ruby payed no mind to the tools left to her that could end her suffering, instead, she watched the girl's back disappear behind a door, leaving her alone once again with the darkness.

 _Maybe… but I think there's more to this. I couldn't do it, when Cinder commanded that I smile through the pain, I couldn't do it, but Cinder didn't seem to notice. I think Emerald used her Semblance to make it look like I never stopped smiling. I think Emerald... cares._


	4. The Sleeping Nightmare

Darkness… her entire world, her reality, everything she knew was darkness, a darkness that no light or sound could traverse. In the sea of black, only one thing stood out; A small, pale figure, naked and shivering in the cold. A girl sat alone in the void, her head resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs, squeezing them to her chest as she trembling. Her delicate, porcelain skin marred by blood, bruises and burns, very few parts of her were spared from the damage that befell the rest of her body.

 _When will this end? Will this end? I'm cold… I'm hungry… I'm lonely and I'm scared and- and it hurts, it hurts too much, I don't know what to do. I can feel it, there's less and less of myself every day in here. I'm breaking, becoming a toy for them to pour their hate into. I'm breaking… and I want it. I don't want to be me anymore, I don't want hope, I just want to be nothing, I just want to give in… to be theirs._

"So that's it then?" A voice called from the darkness, familiar and right in front of her. Horror and guilt filled Ruby's heart as she slowly and hesitantly raised her head from her knees. Her heart skipped a beat before pounding with terror and fear as she looked up at the young woman looming over her, clad in white and regal in appearance, her cool blue eyes chilled with malice and disgust as cold as liquid helium.

"W- Weiss…" Ruby's words were barely a meek whisper as she she desperately backed away, her heart strangled with dread as she retreated… but was stopped has her back met an obstacle. Her fear spiked as she shot up, stepping away from Weiss but nearly toppling over as she met the hate filled amber gaze of a faunus girl with cat ears atop her head.

"You're just going to give them what they want? You're letting yourself turn into a slave for monsters and you want it. Is that all our friendship means to you? You're giving yourself, your body, mind and soul to them, just so you can keep on living. You're a coward, I can't believe I ever followed you." The hate behind every word Blake uttered seared into Ruby, leaching into her burns and suffocating her heart. Tears streamed from her glistening silver eyes as she she stepped back, retreating from her teammates as she silently and weakly shook her head.

"Blake… don't say that. I-"

"You what?" A third voice spoke up, her all too familiar voice coming as a low, rage filled growl. Ruby spun around, she could feel the pound of her heart through her entire body as she looked into the burning crimson eyes that glared down at her with hate and fury. A tall blonde stood before her, jaw clenched and one fist balled at her side as blood dripped from the bandaged stump where her arm was severed.

"Yang… please, please stop! I didn't… I didn't want this to happen!" Ruby pleaded desperately, silent tears rolling down her bruised cheeks, her breaths weak and unsteady as she was forced between her three teammates, hatred and spite burning into her from all three like an inferno that raged around her.

"You let this happen, and now, you're letting them break you! You want to be broken, you want to give in, to be their pet! It's disgusting and pathetic." Ruby had never once in her life felt so much hate in her older sister's voice, her sister… the person who practically raised her, now looked at her with nothing but unrestrained despise.

"You don't understand!" Ruby cried out desperately, her chest feeling tight and the pain that flooded her mind from every inch of her body intensifying with each pleading word. "It- it hurts… they're torturing me and it hurts so much. I don't want to be strong, I just want to the pain to stop!"

"They killed me Ruby… do you really want to be theirs?" This new voice was soft, gentle and distraught. As Ruby turned to face the girl she watched die in front of her, her teammate's faded into the darkness.

"Penny…" A soft gentle whisper died in the dark as Ruby stared in awe at the girl that had been torn to pieces.

"They killed me… I thought we were friends. You're giving in to them, they killed me and you want to be theirs." In her eyes wasn't hate… it was something far, far worse; pity.

"I don't have a choice!" She cried out, her throat stinging at her desperate plea. "Penny… you have no idea how much it hurts, if I fight it, if I resist them, it will only hurt more. I have to give them the only thing I have… I have to give them me."

"You always have a choice." A hauntingly calm and even voice spoke softly from behind her.

"Pyrrha." A cold chill ran down Ruby's spine as she slowly turned around, facing her friend she watched get shot through the heart, the last memory she had before waking up in Cinder's cell.

"You can chose to die." Pyrrha said it so coldly and simply, but the words brought Ruby's tears, breathing and even her heart to a dead stop as she stared in disbelief at the tall redhead. "You could bite your tongue off and bleed out, you can starve yourself, you have choices… you're simply a coward."

"I don't want to die…" The words were so soft leaving Ruby's lips she couldn't be certain if they weren't just merely thoughts inside her head. She could feel her legs tremble beneath her before they gave out, the small girl falling to the floor as she stared up a Pyrrha, her gaze dull and broken. "I don't want to die, I don't."

"Then you're a coward." Weiss reappeared at her side, her tone cold and uncaring as she stood beside Pyrrha.

"You're weak." Yang's voice was a low, malicious growl from beside her.

"You're a traitor." Blake hissed.

"You're a monster." Penny whispered in Ruby's ear.

"No, please, I don't want that! I don't want to die! I- I'm only fifteen… I can't die… I can't die yet! I don't want it all to end! Please… please, I'm your friend… how could you ask me to-"

"Die." In unison the five voices spoke in a near deafening chorus, the force of their words rumbled all the way into the small girl's racing heart.

"Stop! I don't want-"

"Die!"

"Please… please… I don't want to go. I want to live… even if it's here… I want to live." Ruby shut her eyes tight, squeezing tears from them as she covered her ears with with hands, curling up in a ball, but she could still hear their voices, chanting, goading her to her death, she could feel every bit of hate and contempt they had for her. However, something changed… a spark inside her heart, igniting something powerful, and something dark. Her fear and guilt were consumed, the cold ache in her chest combusted into a consuming fire as her eyes shot open, burning with something she had never truly felt; hatred and the most potent anger she had ever felt, scouring clean everything with its unbridled ferocity, even her pain.

"I said no!" Ruby screamed, baring her teeth as she glared up defiantly at her friends.

"You have to die. You have to- Aaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaah!"

Ruby's eyes widened in horror as she watched the five before her burn, their bodies engulfed by flames. She watched their skin bubble and deform as the inferno consumed their flesh, their blood hissing and sizzling as it boiled in their bodies, their tendons snapping as they were burned through, blackening their muscles and burning away their fat until their corpses were charred beyond recognition… and the screamed died out. As Ruby stared at their burnt remains she felt… _Nothing… I don't feel anything._

"They're gone now." A woman's dark but soft voice spoke up, her heels clicking against the pitch black ground as a glowing orange fire burned in her hand, illuminating her face.

"Cinder I-"

"You're safe now, they're dead, burned alive, suffering every moment before their death. You're still here, and still breathing, just like you wanted." A more gentle, caring tone spoke up from behind her as she felt two arm arms wrap around her.

"Emerald…" Tears again came to Ruby's eyes, her heart filling with guilt and disgust towards herself, but she couldn't deny it… they were tears of relief.

"You're going to live." Cinder smiled at the young girl, tenderly cupping her hand over her pale cheek. Suddenly, everything was as it was, Ruby was covered in scars, one eye blinded by the burn inflicted on her and her arm radiating an intense burning pain through her entire body. Ruby was a small, emaciated figure, her glistening eye looking up at Cinder with adoration and gratitude as the voices compelling her to her death were silenced by Cinder's fire.

"Thank you… thank you… thank you." Ruby's broken body relaxed as she closed her eye, focusing on the warmth and softness of Cinder's touch. She didn't know it, a frail, weak smile had formed from her lips, the touch of Emerald and Cinder giving her a happiness she had not felt since first waking in their dungeon. Her guilt ebbed, though she knew she should feel disgusted at herself, but all she could feel… was that she belonged with her captors.

 _I don't want to die._


End file.
